Automobile accessory



Dec. 6, 1927.

J. BINDON AUTOMOB ILE ACCESSORY Filed Feb. 24. 1926 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,943

' Y J. BINDON AUTOMOBILE ACCESSORY v Filed Feb. 24. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r Z0 M Fi .5! 5' A4, 4;

VENTOR ATTOR N EYS curta his.

Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JAMESBINDO'N, OFNEWPORT, BI-IODE ISLAND.

AUTOMOBILE ACCESSORY.

Application filed February This invention relates to automobile hood llzlore particularly it relates to curtains for regulating the degree 0t ventila tion and passage of air through the side vents or louvres otautoniohile hoods.

/Vhter-cooled automobile engines con-- ted at the. present time alleniploy a mu oft air-cooled ivater reservoir ordinarily xn'ied'a radiator. "Usually such radiator at the tori'vard end of the automobile hood engine surfaces. For that reason vents or lOLW'lI'OS are placed in the side Walls of the hood; The cold air, drawn in through the radiator, is warmed in passing throu. 1.. l IlIF ther heated in passing over the hot engine surfaces, and drr-iwn ell partly through the loumies and partly through the opening at the rear end of the engine crank case. In Warm Weather it is decidedly advantageous to remove the heated air as quickly as pos sihle tron: the vicinity of the e. 'ne. In cold ll tlilhllGl' however. the enact o1 posite is true. When theautoinobile is operated, air

must still be drawn in through the radiator to cool. the circi'llating' Water but the engine mustnot be cooled down too tar by the re moral of its radiated heat. It is therefore advise hie to adopt some means wherebysonie of theradiated engine heat will bere'tained Within thehood and not drawn oil by the.

current of air. To retain all is as objection able as to retain none. Regulation;ofbut one of the air escapes, either the side vents in the hood or the openrear end at the lower edge of CTtllllt case. is sullicient. Obviously.

the regulating ot' the vents is the easier or the two. In addition, any means tor retaining the engine heat Within the hood when the car is stopped in cold Weather is a decided advantage. Cross drafts through the hood vents carry away the radiated heat oi the motor. Snow or rain driven into the hood through the rearwardly open vents chills the motor and soi'netiines damages the engine. After a few hours, the di'lliculty in starting is too apparent to needeinphasis.

l have, therefore, constructeda type of 2a., 1926. serial No. 90237.

vent regulator which is wen adapted l for the purposes above mentioned and yet is extremely simple in both operation and con stru'cti on. Since the fewer the obstructions to air passage inwarm Weather the better,

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I have inade my device]detachable; and in regulator; For cold Weather driving itis easlly applied; tor Warm weenie-smu it is ust as easily removed; and for drlvinlg 111 any Weather at all, it provides definite and variable ad ustment of the degree of air passagejthrough the hoodvents.

In general, my type of regulatonis constructed in the torin ot a rolled curtain ex" tensible over all the louvres 0r anydesired mnnher of them. Such portion of the curtain a-s isnot actively used to coverthe vents desired is compactly rolled upon a spring roller at one end oi the hood. The entire device including roller. fasteners and curtain is enclosed Within the hood and so attached to the side sections thereof that does not interfere with their opening and closing. Each side section carries the unit mounted on its lnner wall independent of the rest of the hood'and unnoticeable from the outside.

For a hotter understanding of the inven-- tion, reference .is' made to the following drawings wherein Fig. l is a side elevation of a hood section carrying one form of my device.

Fig. 2 isa sectionalview on the line otFig. 1. t t

F 1g. 3 is a sectlonal View on the hue 3 3 oflihg. 1.

Fig. l. 1s a form of attachntient different from that shown in Flg. 1.

Fig. 5 1s a slde elevation showing; the term of attachment shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 1s a perspective View of the roller bracket.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view oi the hook plate attached in use to the end of the curtain.

Fig. 8 18 a P rspective view of a section 0t the curtain itself.

Fig. 9 a perspective view oi one of the spring clips used to secure the roller ln'zuihet to the hood section.

hliore in detail. a repicsiuitutivo type ol' hood side tion is shown at l in Fig. [The louvri... or vents are here depicted as tapering ironl trout to haclt and slanti T" makging it detachable have used sevenah teatures not found 111 any other type of vent.

somewhat at the forward end. Although present forms of louvres are either nearly all vertical or slanting and of uniform length, this particular form is used merely to show the applicability of the invention to either form with the same degree of success. The bracket carrying the roller is indicated at 3 attached to the rearward end of the hood section by the spring clips 4 and the threaded hook 5. The roller 6 carrying the curtain 7 is mounted between the shoulders 8 of the bracket under the compression of the guide rod 9. At its free end the curtain has adjustably attached to it a slotted hook plate 10 fitted with bent ears 11 to hook behind the edge left in the hood section by the flaring of the louvres, and bent ear 12 to be used as a handle.

The sectional views of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 taken together more clearly show the manner of attaching the roller bracket 3 to the hood section so that there will be no unsightly outward evidences of the use of the device. The spring clips 4 are hooked through the slots 13 in the roller bracket 3 (Figs. 6 and 1), and pulled up until the enlarged ends 14 (Fig. 9) are positioned in the slots (Figs. 3 and 1). The spring ends 15 are then clipped around the flared edges of the louvres2 (Fig. The ends 15 are thus the only part of the clips that show, and when finished in the same manner as the hood are quite unnoticeable. Hooked behind the straight edge in the hood section left by the flaring of the louvres is the threaded hook clamp 5 having its threaded end inserted through a hole in the bent lip 16 of the bracket 3 (Figs. 6, 1 and 2). 'A wing nut 17 easily tightened by the fingers draws up the bracket 8 against the action of the spring clips 4. The bowed leaf 4 of the clip (Fig. 9) is somewhat straightened under the tensioning action of the tightened hook 5 and exerts a constant pull on the bracket in the opposite direction resulting in a firm, rattle-proof mounting of the bracket on the hood section.

The spring roller 6 is mounted between the shoulders 8 of the bracket 3 (Figs. 6 and 1) with the customary free pivot 18 and locked pivot 19. The roller is not 'ratcheted, but aiways under the twisting action of the coiled spring within it. The advantage 'of this will be explained later. The shoulders 8' are bent up from the same sheet as the base of the bracket 3 and are thus capable of being sprungapart to allow insertion of the roller 6. Mounted in the holes 20 in the shoulders 8 of the bracket is a guide rod 9. The position of the holes 20 is such that the curtain, when curved around and under the rod 9, lies very close to the wall of the hood sect-ion. Since the tension in the curtain due to the spring roller has a tendency to throw the rod away from the hood wall, it is necessary that some means be employed to tighten the rod I have done this by threading one end of the rod and attaching a wing nut 21 thereto that can be easily turned with the lingers. The other end of the rod I have bent over to form an arch 22. Since the shoulders S are of spring sheet steel, a. tightening of the rod at a point near the base has the tendency to flare out the end in which the roller 0 is mounted, due to the location of the tighten ing point between the two fulernms produced by the base of the shoulder and the pivotal point of the roller. By bending ihe rod to form the arch 22, any tightening force is transmitted to a point very near to the bearing of the roller 6, and thus no flaring of the shoulders will occur. The tension necessary in the rod to keep it stiff against the constant pull of the curtain is thus also applied to keep the shoulders in firm rigid position for the bearing of the roller 6.

By having a spring roller without ratchets. the curtain 7 always under tension and will maintain a smooth, taut surface in any adjusted position. This is of decided advantage because the constant rush of air through the hood when the automobile is moving has a tendency to produce a fluttering of the curtain unless it is kept tight. A. very strong spring in the roller is therefore preferable. To overcome fire hazard and the danger incident to the curtain becoming oily or greasy, the fabric is specially treated to render it fireproof. As a further safeguard against general deterioration and rotting due to the curtain being wet when rolled up, the material thoroughly waterproofed. Rain or snow and such oil or grease as might accumulate on the curtain and render it wet and undesirable can thus have no ellect upon the durability of the fabric. Another feature is that, if so desired. the roller and curtain may be removed and thoroughly cleaned, if necessary. without harm to the material.

The end of the curtain to which ihe hook plate 10 is attached is provided with a :erics of parallel slits 23 (Fig. 8). into these slits the hooking cars 11 and handle 12 are inserted in any one of a number oi positions, depending upon the formation of the louvres 2. If the vents are \eliieul, ihe cars 11 and handle 12 are inserted in the same vertical set of slits. vlf the venls arc. slant ing, forward or backwin'd, the ears and handle are inserted into one slit in each oi the vertical sets. Thus the l'orward edge oi the curtain is either vertical or slanting. depending upon the particular form of the vents, and the curtain will always maintain a tight surface because the forward edge coincides with the edge behind which the cars 11 are hooked.

The hook plate 19 (Fig. T) is provided iii.)

with a slot 24: through which the curtain is threaded before beinghooked over the bent cars 11 and handle 12. The edge 25 thus bears on the fabric and holds ittightly against the hood Wall." The cars 11 are hooked back 01 the edge ot the hood lelit by the flaring oi? the louvres, and the handle 12 bent up to provide an ear that can be gripped by the lingers to change the location of the hook plate. The cars ll are formed to present aslit'tle surface outside of the hood as possible. In any adjusted position, they, together with the curved ends of the spring clips, are the only parts oi? the device that appear outside of the hood. lVhen finished in the color of the hood they are practically unnoticeable. The entire device can thus be applied to a hood in a secure and rigid position "without niarring the finish or beauty of the hood.

At times it may be desirable to permanently secure the roller bracket to the hood section. In that case the spring clips are eliminated and the bracket bolted directly to the hood as shown in 4. The form of the bracket is the same as before, except that bolts 26 and Wing nuts 2'! now secure the bracket. In Warm Weather, such aninctallation may be left in place and the roller with the hook plate and curtain removed. The guide rod may also be removed, but it left in place it helps to keep the shoulders 8 from being bent. If an absolutely permanent installation is desired, the bracket may be riveted to the smooth unvented sun lace between the last vent and the rear edge the .hood. In such a position the curtain may be drawn over all of the vena when desired, or any number of them; In Warm weather, the dismantled bracket is out of the way and yet available at all times.

lily a slight change in the ends 15 oi the spring clips of Fig. 9, the bracket 8 may be positioned at the unvented portion between the last vent and thcrear edge of the hood by slipping the clips at over the rear edge oi the hood section instead of over the edge oi the louvres. In either case, the curtain may be extended to cover one or all of the vents in the hood section. The important point to remember is the adjustability, detachability, and security of the entire unit in any position of the curtain, whether the ln'ackct be clipped about the louvres or the rear edge oi? the hood, or bolted to the hood directly.

1. in a cover device for an automobile hood section having a plurality of vents therein, a support, a roller mounted in said support, a curtain carried by said roller and adapted to provide variable ventilation adjustment by selective closing of the vents in the. hood section, ineans secured to said supports iior maintaining said curtain in all operative positions at a given distance iron the hood section, and in ens for securing said support to the hood section.

In a cover device for an auton'iobile hood section having a, plurality of vents therein, a support, a roller mounted in said support, an QiillGlltltLlOlQ curtain carried by said roller and adapted to cover the vents in the hood section to provide a variable dcgrcc oi? ventilation :uljustinent thrrnighout a variable range oi. curtain extension, ineans secured to said support :tor maintaining said curtain at all times at a given distance to secure said support to the hood section.

In a device or the type described a roller, a curtain mounted thereon, a support for said roller, and a single means associated. with said support for maintaining the curtain in fixed relation to said support at one point and varying the relation be tween said support and said roller at another point.

4-.111 a device 01' the type described a roller curtain, a support therefor, and means associated with said support for maintaining the curtain in fixed relation to said support at one point and varying the relation bctween said roller and support at another comprising a tension rod, a guide portion on said rod adapted. to guide the movement of said roller curtain, an arched portion at one end oil? said rod bearing upon one end of said support, and adjustable means at the other end of said rod for varying the mag nitude of the bearing pressure oi said arched portion upon said support, the end oi said arched portion being disposed. in closer proximity to the point at which the roller curtain is mounted in said. support than the guide portion oi said rod.

5. In a device olf the type described incans :l'or securing a roller support to a hood section comprising a plurality o'l'f flexible spring clips looped at one side to said. support, a hook clamp secured to said support, bent ends on said spring clips adapted to. l'rictionally grip a hood section in one direction, a bent end on said hook clamp adapted to grip a hood section in the opposite direction, and means for increasing the tension between said spring clips and said hook clainp.

(3. In a device of the type described a spring roller, a llexible curtain secured at one end to said roller, a slotted hook plate adjustably fastened to said curtain at its other end, a plurality of slits in said curtain at said hook plate soul, a plurality of bent ears on said hook plate adapted to co-operate in different positions with said slits, and at least one bent car on said hook plate adapted to catch in openings in a hood section Illl) to vary the extended length of said curtain.

7 In a device of the type described means for supporting a spring roller comprising a base portion having openings therein adapted to receive securing means for fastening it to an automobile hood section, end portions at right angles to said base portion having openings therein adapted to receive a spring roller in operative position, said end portions having further openings near said base portion adapted to receive tensioning means for varying the distance between said end portions at the spring roller openings, an inclined portion bent up from said base por tion at one side, and a recess in said base portion opposite said inclined portion, said inclined portion having an opening therein adapted to receive an adjustable clamp as additional securing means for fastening said base portion to a hood section.

8. In a cover device for an automobile hood section having a plurality of vents therein, a support, a spring-roller mounted in said support, an extensible and retractible curtain secured to said roller and adapted to cover the vents in the hood section to provide a. variable degree of ventilation adjustment throughout a variable range of eurtain extension, means for maintaining said variably extendable curtain at a given distance from the hood section, and a pair of spring clips and a hook clamp engaging the hood on opposite sides of one edge of said support and exerting oppositely di rected pulls on said support to secure said support to the hood section.

9. In a cover device for an automobile hood section having a plurality of vents in the hood section support, a spring roller mounted in said support, an extensible and retractible curtain secured to said roller and adapted to cover the vents to provide a variable degree of ventilation adjustment throughout a variable range of curtain extension, means secured to said support for maintaining said variably extendable curtain at a given distance from the hood section, and irietionally gripping spring clips and hook clamping means engaging the hood section on opposite sides of one edge of said support to secure said support to the inner surface of the hood section.

10. In a cover device [or an automobile hood section having a plurality of vents therein, a support, a spring roller mounted in said support, an extensible and retractible curtain secured to said roller and adapted to cover the vents in the hood section to provide a variable degree 01" ventilation adjustment throughout a variable range of curtain extension, means secured to said support for maintaining said variably extendable curtain in fixed relation to the hood section, means looped to said support. for trietionally gripping said hood section, and adjustable means co-operating with said frictionally gripping means for securely fastening said support to the inner surface of the hood section against the counter-action of said trict-ionally gripping means.

11. In a cover device for an automobile hood section having a. plurality of vents therein, a bracket, a spring roller mounted in said bracket, an extensible and retractible curtain secured to said roller and adapted to cover the vents in the hood section to provide a variable degree of ventilation adjustment throughout a variable range of ourtain extension, a guide rod secured to said bracket and positioned to maintain said variably extend able curtain in l'ixed relation to the hood section, spring clips looped to said bracket and triet-ionally gripping the hood section, and an adjustable hook clamp cooperating with the spring clips to securel) fasten said bracket to the inner surface ol the hood section against the tension of said clips.

' In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

JAMES BINDON.

ill

@ERTIEKCATE OI? GORREETWN Patent No. 1,651,943 Granted December 6, 1927, to

EAMES BINDON.

it is hereby oet'tit'ied that @tmt" appears in the printed specification of the above mtmhereti patent roouit'iog' correction as tottows: Page 4, lines 38 and 39, claim 9, strike out the wottts in the hood sectiott support"; and insert instead "therein, 2t support; same page and ctaim, line 42., after the word "vents." ittoet't the Wottto "in the hooti oection"; and that the said Lettere Patent should he read with these cotreetiono therein that the eaine may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Uttice.

Signed and settled this Nth day of January, At U. 192? M. J. Moore, Seat Acting (iommissioner oi Patents 

